Only 2.5% of residential consumers with rooftop solar power will face grid support charges: MSEDCL

Nashik: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has clarified that grid support charges (GSC), as approved by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), apply only to a small segment of consumers with high sanctioned loads, accounting for just 2.5% of the residential consumers with solar systems.

MSEDCL public relations officer Bharat Pawar said there had been misunderstandings regarding the levy of these charges on rooftop solar users, emphasising that GSC was not imposed universally but applied only to consumers with a sanctioned load of 10 kW or more. “A typical household has a sanctioned load of around 2 kW. Consumers with a sanctioned load exceeding 10 kW are generally large households,” Pawar said.

He said the charges were being implemented in accordance with MERC regulations. “Earlier, MSEDCL was permitted to levy GSC once the total solar capacity reached 2,000 MW. Under the new tariff order issued in March, however, this threshold has been raised to 5,000 MW,” he said.

According to MSEDCL data, only 44,246 consumers out of a total of 3.17 crore in the state, about 0.14%, are currently subject to the additional charge, following the total installed solar capacity crossing 5,000 MW.

In the residential segment, 6.57 lakh out of 2.37 crore consumers have installed rooftop solar systems. Of these, GSC applies to just 16,410 consumers, accounting for about 2.5% of solar-equipped households.

Among other categories, the charges apply to 8,894 of the 4.45 lakh industrial consumers and 12,832 of the 23.3 lakh commercial consumers. “The overall impact remains minimal at just 0.14% of the total consumer base,” Pawar said.

A representative of a consumer forum in Nashik reiterated that GSC was not a blanket charge and that most regular rooftop solar users needed not be concerned. He also urged contractors not to spread misinformation and advised consumers to approach MSEDCL or consumer forums for accurate information.